Grandview, MO

Grandview traces its history back to an agricultural community of the mid-1800s known as the Anderson District. The first post office was located at Fifth and Main so residents did not have to travel a day up to Hickman Mills to get their mail. The city grew when the Kansas City Southern railroad came to town in 1912, providing jobs and a railroad stop. By 1929, the population grew to more than 700 residents.

See relics of the old railroad depot maintained by the Grandview Historical Society adjacent to Freedom Park. Kids love exploring the old Union Pacific caboose on the property. The other museum in town, the Truman Family Farm, celebrates the early life of President Harry S. Truman.

Music on Main, one of Grandview's annual festivals, features live, outdoor music every year in early September. The fun lasts from mid-afternoon until 10:30 at night.

Standard fast food chains have Grandview locations all over the vast neighborhood. A few bars sit close to downtown, while some local restaurants serve alcohol and food. Music venues exist closer to Kansas City.

Providence Pizza at Main and U.S. 71 cooks pizzas in wood-fired ovens with pride. Two brothers from Providence, Rhode Island, brought their pizza dough recipe from the East Coast to give Midwestern residents an idea of what great pizza tastes like. Try the Ring Street pizza for lunch topped with steak, roasted peppers, mushrooms, onions and garlic followed by three types of cheese. Dinner pizzas, cooked at 850 degrees in the wood-fired oven, start with fantastic dough cooked to perfection. Clam pizza contains mozzarella, marinated clams, lemon butter and parsley with no sauce. Build your own pizza and select from four sauces, six cheeses and 20 toppings.

TJ's Cafe in downtown Grandview represents the neighborhood's classic diner. Get a huge plate of food for your buck, whether you order breakfast, lunch or dinner. Specials include a gigantic pork tenderloin sandwich or a steakburger with grilled onions. Breakfast features plate-sized pancakes with sides of hash browns and link sausages. Another fan favorite includes biscuits smothered in homestyle gravy. Never go home hungry at TJ's Cafe, plus you get to keep a few extra dollars in your wallet versus higher-end eateries.

Peking Express stays open late to satisfy customers who love large portions of inexpensive Chinese food. For more than 20 years, this restaurant has served favorites such as sweet and sour chicken, cashew chicken and moo goo gai pan. For a complete meal, the sweet and sour trio features chicken, shrimp and pork with vegetables. Shrimp with egg sauce satisfies hearty appetites, while lemon chicken has fresh lemon slices on top for an added kick. Kung pao chicken contains plenty of heat and spice for customers who love hot food.

Doghouse Bar & Grille shows off its dog-themed decor while serving huge shots to local patrons. Play billiards on one of two tables, or take on shuffleboard when you do not feel like two ancient video game set ups. The friendly little bar in a strip mall near Main Street and U.S. 71 makes you feel at home with friendly bartenders and attentive staff.

Definitely bring a car to Grandview as the suburb stretches several miles in all directions. If your car is in the shop, call a taxi from Kansas City to pick you up. Rides from Uber are available for a price. Public places have plenty of parking spots.

Drive one of several east-west streets to reach I-49, such as Main Street, Harry Truman Drive and Blue Ridge Boulevard. Grandview Road, Byars Road and Raytown Road run north-south across the neighborhood.

Some streets, but not all, have sidewalks for pedestrians. Side streets are safe for bicycles, but larger thoroughfares may have too much traffic or speed limits too high for cyclists.

KCATA buses on route 28x pick up and drop off passengers at Second Missionary Baptist Church, on the corner of Blue Ridge and Harry Truman, from 4:56 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. weekdays. Park at the free park-and-ride facility nearby.

Several parks dot the landscape for locals to enjoy outdoor activities during warm days. Freedom Park, by downtown, hosts the historical society and a railroad museum. Grandview Ball Park, on the west side of town, has two baseball fields for summer leagues. Valley Park features rope bridges, a zip line and tons of fun outdoor activities. A trail system runs through southern Grandview along Tails and Trails Dog Park where your pooch and roam free and play with canine friends.

Meadowmere Park, on Byars Road, hosts the three-day Truman Heritage Festival from Thursday through Saturday during the first weekend of May. A carnival provides fun rides for kids of all ages. A parade meanders through downtown streets. A live music stage gives attendees something to dance to throughout the festival.

Living costs less in Grandview than in the rest of Kansas City due to the older homes and basic services in the neighborhood. A one-bedroom apartment rents for approximately $559 per month.

One gallon of gas typically runs 18 percent lower than the national average. A day pass for KCATA buses costs $3 to go anywhere on the system. A pint of beer at a local bar runs about $2.50.

Several shopping centers provide customers with one-stop shopping areas. Meadows Shopping Center just north of 140th and I-49 contains several shops in strip malls. Truman Marketplace, formerly Truman Corners Shopping Center, has a Price Chopper grocery store near the Truman Farm. Grandview's Farmers Market opens from May to October at 8th and Goode in the downtown area.

Burge Bird Services touts itself as Kansas City's only veterinary practice exclusively for birds. The clinic provides medicine, surgery, grooming and boarding for pet birds all over the Kansas City area. Veterinarians make house calls throughout Kansas City metro. Dr. Julie Burge, DVM, has been practicing in Grandview since 1990. Check out Burge's list of rescued birds up for adoption through the charitable portion of the veterinary office.

Maj-R Thrift & Discount Store has one of five Kansas City locations in Grandview. Stores carry secondhand clothing, furniture, housewares, shoes, consumer electronics and more. Find less expensive, gently used stuff everyday thanks to thousands of stocked items donated to the store. Donations can be picked up, dropped off or placed in designated bins.